ABC Balance Confidence Scale
Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale (Powell & Myers 1995): rate confidence 0-100% of not losing balance during 16 everyday activities.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Walk around the house
- 60 %
- Walk up/down stairs
- 60 %
- Bend over and pick up
- 60 %
- Reach at eye level
- 60 %
- Reach on tiptoes
- 60 %
- Stand on a chair to reach
- 60 %
- Sweep the floor
- 60 %
- Walk outside to a car
- 60 %
- Get in/out of a car
- 60 %
- Walk across a parking lot
- 60 %
The other 6 values
- Walk up/down a ramp
- 60 %
- Walk in a crowded mall
- 60 %
- Walk in a crowd / get bumped
- 60 %
- Escalator holding the rail
- 60 %
- Escalator not holding the rail
- 60 %
- Walk on icy sidewalks
- 60 %
Result: ABC 60% — increased fall risk (< 67%); moderate level of physical functioning.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Score
- mean of 16 activity confidence ratings (0-100%).
- Cutoffs
- < 67% increased fall risk; functioning: < 50 low, 50-80 moderate, > 80 high.
What you enter
- Walk around the house (% confidence)
- Walk up/down stairs (% confidence)
- Bend over and pick up (% confidence)
- Reach at eye level (% confidence)
- Reach on tiptoes (% confidence)
- Stand on a chair to reach (% confidence)
- Sweep the floor (% confidence)
- Walk outside to a car (% confidence)
- Get in/out of a car (% confidence)
- Walk across a parking lot (% confidence)
The other 6 fields
- Walk up/down a ramp (% confidence)
- Walk in a crowded mall (% confidence)
- Walk in a crowd / get bumped (% confidence)
- Escalator holding the rail (% confidence)
- Escalator not holding the rail (% confidence)
- Walk on icy sidewalks (% confidence)
How this is calculated
Powell LE, Myers AM. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1995;50A(1):M28-M34. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.